Marco, Mountaineer share unique bond

Trey Barker, the man behind the Marco mask, and Rebecca Durst, the West Virginia University Mountaineer, are looking forward to friendly competition against each other in cheering contests this weekend at the Coal Bowl after being lifelong friends.
As the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but conflict could arise when a friend ends up being an enemy.
Durst and Barker face that conflict.   
Barker and Durst grew up together in the small town of Point Pleasant, W.Va., where they shared many memories as classmates at the same high school. Now they are creating new ones as representatives of rival universities.
Barker obtained the position of the Marshall University mascot first, then found out he would be competing against his hometown buddy in cheering contests a few months later.
Durst said Barker is the reason she got interested in the Mountaineer position in the first place. She also said she wanted to be the first female after Natalie Tennant, Secretary of State, to represent WVU.
"I knew that he was the mascot and so I tried out for the Mountaineer," Durst said. "Knowing that he would be able to have the opportunity to come up here and be the mascot while I was the mascot would be really cool, and I was really, really excited."
Durst and Barker love to get the crowds excited on game day, but they view themselves as something more than just cheerleaders.
"It is more dignified," Durst said. "Everybody looks up to that one figure."
Barker added that collegiate mascots are the face of the entire university and not just there for sports.
Just as Durst and Barker have similar thoughts on the greater meaning behind mascots, the same goes for feelings of their early school days.
Barker and Durst have known each other for more than 20 years and attended the same grade school, middle school and high school. The pair was even in the same class at Point Pleasant High School.
"One of the very first days of kindergarten we were walking to class from the cafeteria in the morning and she pulled me back down the hallway and kissed me on the cheek," Barker said. "She thought it was cute, but I guess I was just a typical boy then and I thought girls were gross and told the teacher on her."
Durst said that kiss with Barker was also one of her most memorable moments.
Both also received several awards including "Most Active" in the senior class, the Promise Scholarship and induction into the National Honors Society.
After high school, however, they went their separate ways.
Barker is now a junior at Marshall where he is studying broadcast journalism while Durst is studying pre-nursing at WVU.
"A personal goal of mine would be to do freelance work for National Geographic one day," Barker said. "We'll see what happens, but I definitely know it's in journalism somewhere."
Durst plans to stay in the Mountain State when she graduates because she said the state has wonderful hospitals.
Although they are apart for most of the year, they occasionally see each other when they meet at appearances. In fact, the pair returned to their high school just a few months ago to help dedicate a new athletic complex, both in full costume.
They are excited to see each other this weekend at the Friends of Coal Bowl when Marshall University travels to Morgantown to take on the Mountaineers.
Durst and Barker's connection will help get both cheering sections rowdy because the association between them will allow for a more unique interaction, Durst said.
"We have some issues with people saying that we are trying to take the rivalry out of college sportsmanship, but I can tell you right now, that that is not the case," Barker said. "Becky will tell you that she wants to see Marshall lose next week and I will tell you that I want to see WVU lose."
The Friends of Coal Bowl will take place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown.
Both said there is certainly competition between them, but it is all in fun.
"We joke around with each other a lot anyway," Durst said. "I know some of his weaknesses and he knows some of mine, so I think it will be fun for us to just kind of pick on each other because, in a lot of ways, we are like brother and sister."
 
Heather Crum can be contacted at crum41@marshall.edu.